AMPLIFICATION:
Because of space constraints and incautious wording in my column last week, I referred to the Times's "Jayson Blair/Gerald Boyd problem." I intended to refer to those attacks on the Times that had asserted or implied that Boyd had in some way been responsible for overlooking Blair's shortcomings and that this pattern somehow reflected on the Times's affirmative-action policies. I did not mean to imply that there was any truth to these accusations. Indeed, there is none on the record as far as I am aware. I apologize to Mr. Boyd for any misimpressions I may have created. --Eric Alterman